Well-Defined Pedagogue
Dr. Wichinsky is a full-time faculty member in the School of Social Work who has taught Policy I, II and Human Behavior in the Social Environment in the Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) program. In the Master of Social Work Program (M.S.W.), she has taught an elective she created, titled “Global Perspectives in Social Work,” and several core courses, including Foundations I, Diversity and Oppression, Research Methods, Foundations III, and Evaluation of Practice.
Dr. Wichinsky teaches from a clearly articulated and well-defined pedagogical foundation. Her central framework for teaching is drawn from a learner-centered approach, which focuses on each student’s interests, abilities, and unique learning style. In the classroom, Dr. Wichinsky takes the time to develop relationships with each student, identifying strengths, and areas of growth in order to help students reach their full potential. Perhaps most importantly, she is able to masterfully put students in charge of their own learning, which can be seen in student outcomes.
Dr. Wichinsky also demonstrates many qualities of teaching excellence. For example, students frequently comment on her passion for teaching, and mastery of the content she is teaching. She also models the core value of life-long learning by staying up-to-date on current trends in the field, and is continuously branching out to new areas, and challenging herself in the process. Dr. Wichinsky is very organized as a teacher. She has created new courses with clearly defined goals and objectives and has occupied the lead instructor role for core M.S.W. courses. In this role she has mentored new instructors, has provided valuable leadership, and has created an atmosphere of collaboration.
Dr. Wichinsky constantly refines her approach to teaching based on student feedback and her teaching evaluations. She has received continuous student feedback on how enthusiastic she is in relation to what she is teaching. In the classroom, Dr. Wichinsky is able to bring energy and the ability to convey her love for the field of social work. This enthusiasm and passion, in part, comes from her active role in service and research oriented scholarship that has resulted in several published manuscripts on teaching methods, and major grants that involve real-world program evaluation.
Dr. Wichinsky’s degrees include a Ph.D. in social work from Florida International University, a M.S.W from California State University, and a B.A. in social work from the University of Florida.